Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 08 Every newspaper reports yesterday’s events. Every photograph shows a moment that has already passed. Even looking across a room takes a small amount of time for light to travel from the object to our eyes. Scientific knowledge is built upon observations that are obtained, interpreted, andContinue reading “Excursus 109 – Reality, Knowledge, and Epistemic Mediation”
Tag Archives: scientific method
Excursus 069 – On Observer Effects and Scale
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 One of the recurring themes in twentieth-century philosophy and sociology is the claim that the act of observation affects the object being observed. This idea appears in a variety of forms, ranging from discussions of quantum mechanics to debates in the social sciences. Yet these examplesContinue reading “Excursus 069 – On Observer Effects and Scale”
Excursus 093 – On the Two Stages of Historical Inquiry
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 Historical inquiry is often presented as a branch of the humanities, whereas the natural sciences are regarded as fundamentally different modes of investigation. In practice, however, modern historical research increasingly proceeds through two complementary stages that draw upon both domains. The first stage seeks to establishContinue reading “Excursus 093 – On the Two Stages of Historical Inquiry”
Excursus 090 – On Simplicus and Compositum
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 The distinction between simplicus and compositum, originally introduced to characterize different kinds of theoretical models, may be generalized into a broader methodological principle applicable to scientific inquiry. A simplicus object is one whose behavior can be adequately understood at a single level of organization. Its explanationContinue reading “Excursus 090 – On Simplicus and Compositum”
Excursus 089 – On Doubt as a Method of Conceptual Revision
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 Doubt has often been misunderstood as either a temporary stage on the path to certainty or a permanent condition of skepticism. Both conceptions overlook a more fundamental epistemological function. The enduring value of doubt lies not in uncertainty itself but in its capacity to stimulate theContinue reading “Excursus 089 – On Doubt as a Method of Conceptual Revision”
Excursus 081 – On Science and Technology
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 Science and technology are closely related but distinct human enterprises. Their historical interaction has been so productive that they are often treated as though they were synonymous. Yet the primary aim of science is to understand the natural world, whereas the primary aim of technology isContinue reading “Excursus 081 – On Science and Technology”
Excursus 080 – On Probability and the Transformation of Modern Science
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 Science is often associated with certainty. Popular accounts frequently portray scientific knowledge as the discovery of universal laws that establish facts beyond reasonable doubt. Historically, however, the development of modern science has followed a different trajectory. Rather than moving toward absolute certainty, many scientific disciplines haveContinue reading “Excursus 080 – On Probability and the Transformation of Modern Science”
Excursus 079 – On Quantification in Science
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 The history of science has been marked by a long-term movement toward increasing quantification. Astronomy, physics, chemistry, genetics, epidemiology, and many other disciplines have progressively incorporated measurement, statistics, mathematical modelling, and computation into their methods. This historical development is sometimes interpreted as evidence that science isContinue reading “Excursus 079 – On Quantification in Science”
Excursus 078 – On What Makes a Discipline Scientific?
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 The value of an intellectual discipline should not be confused with its scientific status. Philosophy, history, literature, art, and political thought have produced some of humanity’s most profound achievements without thereby becoming sciences. The question is therefore not whether every discipline ought to become scientific, butContinue reading “Excursus 078 – On What Makes a Discipline Scientific?”
Excursus 073 – On Four Sources of Epistemic Incompleteness
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 Human knowledge is often described as provisional or incomplete. This incompleteness, however, does not arise from a single cause. At least four independent mechanisms may prevent knowledge from attaining complete correspondence with reality. Two of these arise from the nature of reality itself. First, reality mayContinue reading “Excursus 073 – On Four Sources of Epistemic Incompleteness”
Hossein Jorjani 